1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for monitoring/detecting breathing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device which may used by a person to determine if a child or other person is breathing during the night, while asleep, or following an accident.
2. State of the Art
It is common for those caring for many young children to periodically check on the child to ensure that the child is breathing. The publicity regarding sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other child respiratory diseases has caused many people to be more concerned and to monitor infants more frequently.
While it is often possible to tell if an infant is breathing simply by watching for movement in his or her chest, this is often difficult to do at night. Additionally, some children will breathe so shallowly that the movements of the chest are difficult to detect. Likewise, if a child is wearing loose clothing, it may be difficult to see movement while the child breathes.
Because of this concern, many individuals will stick their hand immediately adjacent to the child's mouth/nose in an attempt to feel the child's breath. However, a sleeping infant can often breathe so softly that it is difficult to detect their breath on the skin. Additionally, smaller adults can have difficulty reaching the child's mouth/nose without touching the child if the child is sleeping in the corner of the crib.
In addition to the manual mechanism of monitoring a child's breath, there are also a large number of baby monitors which are presently available to assure a parent that a baby is alright. Such monitors include microphones which are placed in the child's crib. The microphone detects certain sound levels and often will be associated with a light array to identify the intensity of the sound. While such monitors are useful to determine if a baby is crying in a remote room, they are usually not sensitive enough to detect the breath of a sleeping infant. Additionally, the devices are often sufficiently bulky that they are not placed immediately adjacent to the child so the child will not roll over on the device.
More sophisticated monitors have been used in which a video camera provides an image of the child at some remote location. The video camera, however, is usually not sufficiently clear to observe breathing by the child. In fact, when viewing through a camera, one is usually less able to monitoring breathing than one standing adjacent a child.
Still other monitors are available in which sensors are actually placed on the infant to ensure breathing, an appropriate heart rate, etc. Such monitors, however, are undesirable in that they often include cables which can become tangled and can interfere with the free movement of the child. Additionally, the above such sensors are often expensive and can become cumbersome to use.
Thus, there is a need for an infant breathing confirmation device which allows a parent or care giver to quickly determine whether or note an infant is breathing. It would also be desirable to have such a device which facilitates placement of the device in the dark and which is easy to use without waking the child.
In addition to the above-reference scenario, there are other times in which a person may desire to detect or confirm that a person is breathing. For example, in the event of an accident, it is desirable to determine if the victim is breathing. If a person is not breathing but still alive, it is necessary to promptly begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This may be the case even if the person has suffered a neck or back injury. If the person is still breathing, however, it is usually desirable to avoid moving the person until trained medical help is able to evaluate the extent of the neck or back injury. If a person with neck or back trauma is improperly moved, there is a significant risk of paralysis.
Additionally, in a nursing home environment, it may be desirable to ensure that a person is breathing. Likewise, a relative of someone having sleep apnea may wish to confirm that a person is breathing while minimizing the risk of waking the person.
Thus, there is a need for a device which can be used to ensure that a person is breathing without waking or otherwise disturbing the person. Such a device should preferably be relatively inexpensive and easy to use.